Mali: The Tuaregs, MNLA and Ansar Dine

The plight of the Tuareg people has been largely ignored in the Western world. As mercenaries for the deposed Muammar Gaddafi they have received scorn, abuse and displacement in the wake of the Libyan revolution. Many would argue, in rage at the atrocities that Gaddafi conducted, that this tribes assistance to the mad dictator should be punished. I can only conclude that hindsight is a wonderful tool, the Tuareg people had no option.

The Tuaregs are known as the ‘Kurds of Africa’ and as a people span five separate states. They occupy some of the harshest land in the world relying only on livestock and limited supplies of water. As the world’s climate alters life is becoming increasingly harder.

After the revolution in Libya concluded in 2011 it was the Tuaregs that took the brunt of popular dissent. With only a sparse population Libya relied on labour migrants during Gaddafi’s era and thus the sub-Saharan tribes flocked to this source of wealth. Most were involved in all sectors of the economy but due to some fighting for Gaddafi over half of the current detainees in Libyan prisons are black sub-Saharan Africans.

For those that returned to their native lands the desert life is one of hardship and comes as a shock to those accustomed to electricity, running water and healthcare. In Mali, the government did little to address the concerns of the Tuareg people as the South embezzled the economy and corruption ensued. Revolutions have occurred frequently in the past and thus this generation’s revolution was inevitable as highly trained mercenaries returned only knowing one trade, the art of killing.

Droughts severely reduce the Tuareg livestock causing starvation 

Who are the MNLA?

The MNLA (National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad) was founded in October 2011 and aimed to create a Tuareg separatist state entitled Azawad. They have heavy weapons brought down from Libya and are experienced fighters.

Highly trained MNLA fighters with a heavy arsenal of weapons

Who are the Ansar Dine?

Ansar Dine stands for ‘defenders of the faith’ in Arabic and seeks to impose Sharia law in Mali. They aim to realise Osama Bin Laden’s dream of an Afghanistan esque Arab Emirate under strict Sharia law in Africa.

Ansar Dine seek the implementation of Sharia law in Mali

These two forces have opposing goals but both needed to overthrow the government of Mali to begin their campaigns. Consequently, they conducted concurrent operations in the region and took control of Northern Mali. I must stress they were not working together but just happened to see a benefit in avoiding conflict with each other.

Yet, these differences caused cracks in the MNLA operations as the Ansar Dine vied for control over cities such as Gao after the north was taken. In addition, the MNLA took over lands which belonged to other tribes, such as the Dogon people, causing general dissent against the northern occupation.

Therefore, the MNLA was beaten back and Islamist militants took control. The French and Mali forces continue to fight these militants.

What I desire to accentuate is the difference between the MNLA and the Ansar Dine. For the purposes of the mass media attention the two were conflated. It was easier to secure backing for operations in the region if the Ansar Dine’s Islamist crackdown was highlighted and the threat of terrorism exploited. Rather than suggest we were fighting a tribal group who face economic hardship and desire secular self-autonomy.  These demands are not unreasonable and often receive worldwide backing in other parts of the world. 

Further peace talks should offer reasonable promises and incentives to the Tuareg’s to quell dissent. The revolution may be over for this generation but another generation will take up arms to fight for the rights of this forgotten people.

We must be more willing to look deeper into conflicts to understand the rationale of groups and break apart the media’s rhetoric.

Inspiration for this article comes from the recent Aljazeera three-part documentary entitled ‘Orphans of the Sahara’. I would fully recommend watching these videos if you are interested in the Tuareg’s plight, particularly part two.